J. Brahms Sonata E minor, op.38;
Sonata F major, op. 99
Sonate in E minor, op.38;
Sonate in F major, op.99

Pieter Wispelwey was awarded the Elisabeth Everts Prize, an award given biennially to the Netherlands’ most promising musician in 1985. He was awarded the very prestigious Netherlands Music Price in 1992. For many years he has given complete, widely acclaimed performances of the suites for cello by J. S. Bach and Britten and the sonatas by Beethoven and Brahms. Pieter Wispelwey is a regular returning guest in the Koninklijk Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, performing the baroque, classical, romantic and modern repertory. His debut performances in Rome, Milan, Paris and Boston were highly succesfull. In 1992 he made extremely succesfull debut-performances in New-York, Vienna and Melbourne. In the 1993/1994 season he will give performances a.o. in Berlin, Bonn, Stuttgart and Stockholm. Pieter Wispelwey received his early training from Dicky Boeke and Anner Bijlsma in Amsterdam and continued his studies with Paul Katz (Rochester, USA) and with William Pleeth in England. His repertory ranges from J.S. Bach to Elliot Carter, Kagel, and Schnittke. The vast sonata repertoire for cello and piano he performs with Paul Komen and Lois Shapiro (also on period instruments). He also performs regularly as a soloist with orchestra and has recently played concertos by Beethoven (triple), Brahms (double), Dvorak, Dohnnanyi, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Elgar, Haydn, and Dutilleux, performing a.o. in the Koninklijk Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dutch- and German Radio Chamber Orchestras, the Philharmonica Ungarica, The Netherlands Wind Ensemble, the Moscow- and Stuttgart Chamber Orchestras and with the Westdeutsche Sinfonia.

Paul Komen made his debut at the age of thirteen, playing pieces by Bach and Scriabin for a radio recording. Later he studied at the Sweelinck Conservatorium under Jan Wijn. In 1980 he was a finalist to the International Tromp Piano Competition in Eindhoven and in 1981 he made his English debut at Wigmore Hall in London. In 1982, Paul Komen graduated with honours from the Sweelinck Conservatorium and received a scholarship from the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst to continue his studies with Professor Hans Leygraf in Hannover. In 1985, he concluded his studies there with honours as well. He made his debut in the previous year in the Main Hall of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. In 1986, he was awarded a scholarship by the Dutch government to study in the United States under Gyorgy Sandor in New York and under Gyorgy Sebok in Bloomington. In 1988, he was invited for two recitals at the International Piano Festival of La Rogue d’Antheron in France. His debut in the United States took place in 1989 with recitals in New York’s Carnegie Hall and in the National Gallery in Washington.

Awards:
Diapason 5 keys/
Edison Award Holland/
10 Luister/
Cannes Award/
Telerama award

(...) is played with technical assurance and generates the right atmosphere for these moddy pieces. (...) The Washington Post, February 1994 (...) Wispelwey est un musicien formidable, dont le phrasé est toujours extrêmement bien conduit et expressief, le son toujours riche et plein, et Komen est précis, tant comme soutien que comme duettiste(...) François Sarhan, October '94
(...) Wispelwey kan zich meten met de grootste cellisten (...): een lyrische en uiterst gedistingeerde Brahms. De eerste cellotonen van opus 38 voel je in de onderbuik (...) Telegraaf, January '94 (...) Goed samenspel, mooi van timing in allerlei overgangen (...) Klassiek, October '93
(...) Zo kleurrijk en uitgebalanceerd hoort men Brahms zelden (...) De Concertzender, October '93 (...) En wie Wispelwey en Komen hoort, kan niet anders dan erg opgewonden raken van Brahms (...) NRC/Handelsblad, February '94
(...) In entspannter Spielhaltung bieten die Interpreten eine stimmige Alternative zu romantischer überfrachtung und emotionalem überdruck.(...) Fonoforum, March '94
(...) Pieter Wispelwey's performance is transparently cohesive, and has surprising architectural strength. (...) BBC magazine, November '93
(...) I don't think they'd disappoint whatever instruments they played - provided they were accorded the exceptionally truthful, lifelike reproduction they get here. (...) Gramophone, December '93
(...) It is quite surprising how utterly right the music sounds on these instruments. (...) (...) This is splendid, thoughtful, dedicated playing on a high level. Komen's partnership is perfect. (...) (...) This is a sensational duo, not just two musicians playing at the same time. (...) (...) As usual Channel's loving sound is a wonder. (...) In Tune, April 1994
(...) Das Duo liefert den Beweis, daß auch ohne steten Vibratogebrauch und die Klangwucht eines modernes Steinway eine expressive, klanglich und dynamisch subtil abgestufte Darstellung möglich ist. (...) Fonoforum, March 1994
(...) Wispelwey est ici un musicien formidable , dont le phrasé est toujours extriemement bien conduit et expressif, le son toujours riche et plein; et Komen est précis, tant comme soutien que comme duettiste. Ecouter Voir, March 1994 (...) Romantiek betekent voor hem oprechte expressiviteit die je best niet ontsiert met opgeblazen gedoe en andere maniërismen (...) Gazet van Antwerpen, June 1994